A recently rediscovered photo, which researchers say features both Earhart and Noonan, is being used as integral piece of evidence to suggest that both explorers may have actually died while in the custody of the Imperial Japanese Army. An intricate look at the pic, which was reportedly found "buried" in a “formerly top secret” file within the National Archives, reveals two people who bear striking resemblance to Earhart and Noonan, according to People, while thecaption notes that the photo was taken on Jaluit Atoll on the Marshall Islands in 1937, a time during which the territory was under Japanese mandate.

If this theory does prove to be true, details would still remain unclear about her ultimate fate. Realistically speaking, there may never be any solid answers, since Earhart's body was never recovered after her vanishing in 1937 at age 39. However, the History Channel will attempt to hypothesize what exactly went wrong during Earhart's ill-fated voyage by shedding light on this new evidence.

The first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, Earhart was also instrumental in various causes, such as the National Women's Party and Equal Rights Amendment. This is all the more reason this mystery is worth further exploring — even if we may never get concrete answers.